


Belladonnas and Oscars

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Meant to Be [11]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-10-07
Packaged: 2018-02-20 05:18:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2416334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She still wasn’t quite sure how to handle the romantic bombshell that was Sam Kassmeyer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Belladonnas and Oscars

“I'm out of here you guys.” Sam came out of his office and walked through the little gate. Charlie Russet, Mark Cunningham, Bill Hightower, and Lizzie Evans were on duty right now and the shift would split and more cops would be in within the hour. Sam oversaw 26 cops in Newberry. They had a good group of people and someone came in at least twice a week to see if they were hiring.

“It’s kinda early, Chief.” Bill looked at his watch. “Is everything alright?”

“I have plans with the Mrs. tonight. I'm gonna give her a nice anniversary surprise.”

“Aww Chief, that is so sweet.” Charlie smiled. “How long have you guys been married now?”

“It’s been six, absolutely glorious months.” Sam replied.

“I wish Danny were as sweet as you are.” Lizzie said. “I love him to death but he would never think of anything like that.”

Lizzie was married to Danny Wales, who was the Assistant Fire Chief with the Hillsborough County Fire Department. He was nine years her senior but Lizzie had loved him since she was a girl. Everyone knew that because in Newberry, everyone knew everything. She was also very close friends with Jessie Kassmeyer.

They grew up together, of course. They went through school together and even played lacrosse together at Hampshire College. Lizzie was the official Third Musketeer on Jessie and Desi’s crazy adventures. By proxy, she and Sam were closer than they'd been before.

“Don’t be so hard on him…we guys can be forgetful. That doesn’t mean we don't love you.”

“You bet.” Lizzie gave the Chief the thumbs up.

“Alright, you guys be safe out there tonight.” He said.

“Are you going to be reachable by phone in case of emergency, Chief?” Bill asked.

“The only kind of emergency that you would call me about tonight would be the zombie-led apocalypse.”

Sam signed out and left the station whistling. Bill just shook his head.

“That man is crazy about his wife.” He said. “I don’t get it…he and Jessie never even dated far as I know. Did they date while I was away? Did I miss something?”

He’d done two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan before losing his lower leg to an IED. He could’ve missed something. He probably would’ve heard from his mama though. Newberry gossip still made it to Kabul.

“Its just fate.” Charlie replied. She’d known Sam most of her life. She was five years older than him but they grew up across the street from each other. She was one of the only people Mike Kassmeyer trusted to baby-sit his boys. “How could it be anything but?”

“You really believe in that stuff, Russ?” Mark asked, leaning back in his chair.

“I do. And if I didn’t, I would just look at Jessie and the Chief and believe in it then.”

“He's making us all look bad.” Mark muttered.

“You don’t need the Chief to do that, Mark.” Lizzie replied laughing. “You do an ace job all by yourself.”

They all laughed as Mark threw an eraser at her.

***

Sam took a deep breath as he approached and Albertson’s automatic doors opened in front of him. It was probably silly but he had a slight fear of the supermarket. It had been that way since running into Kate Joyner there caused his first fight with Jessie. The Kassmeyers had been there as a couple since, they enjoyed their twice-monthly supermarket trips. Sam had stuck to never returning to the cereal aisle, at least not alone.

In fact, he never went to the supermarket alone at all. Today was the first time since he and Jessie got engaged. He could do it, he was a strong man. He also came at a time where he figured there was less chance of being swept up in multiple conversations with his neighbors. Things like this had to be planned better than V-E Day. Sam had his list; he grabbed his hand basket, and set off in the right direction.

He’d already bought the chicken he needed at Haas’ Butcher Shop. They always bought locally whenever they could. So Sam’s first stop in the supermarket was to grab a bag of Idaho potatoes. Then he went to the seafood counter.

“May I help you?” a man in a yucky plastic apron asked.

Every time Sam saw an apron like that he couldn’t help but think of Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. When he was 13 years old, along with Hotch, Morgan, and Paul Collins, Sam rode his Schwinn six miles down Route 101 to Seager’s Drive-In. It was a blistering summer night and they were showing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sam didn't want to see it; he also didn’t want to admit he was afraid to.

So he went with his friends and an older kid, Jason Mitchell worked in concessions, got them in for free. The movie so terrified the foursome that the idea of riding five miles home in the dark nearly made Sam burst into tears. He finally gave in and called his dad. Mike Kassmeyer was so upset that his son disobeyed his orders of not seeing that horrible movie that Sam was on punishment for two weeks. That was OK with him; he liked his father being close by for a while.

“I need a half pound of steamed lobster meat please.” Sam replied, coming out of his memory.

“No problem.”

Taking the order, Sam smiled and walked away. He went to the seasoning aisles and put everything he needed into his hand basket. Phil Collins came over the PA system; Sam sang along to Something Happened on the Way to Heaven. He made his way to the express checkout but suddenly remembered he forgot cheese. Sam rushed back to the dairy aisle.

“Hello Sam.”

Oh my God, this cannot be happening, Sam thought. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He knew who was close by. Her perfume was familiar while not exactly likeable and her voice unmistakable. She never lost that hint of a British accent even though the Joyner family moved to Newberry when she was 10. At that moment, Albertson’s was the one place in the county that Sam Kassmeyer decided he never needed to be without his wife.

“Hello Kate.” He turned and smiled. “I'm sorry I can't talk, I'm rushing out.”

“Where are you running off to?” She asked.

“It’s my anniversary. I have to go now; it was good to see you again.”

Sam walked away without another word. He rushed to the self-checkout and got the hell out of Albertson’s. It wasn’t until he was in the car that he was able to breathe a sigh of relief. They lived in a small town…this kind of thing was inevitable. He would have to get used to it and handle it in a mature manner.

There was still a part of Sam that felt guilty about the end of his relationship with Kate. There was still a part of Sam angry at her for ever coming into his life in the first place. There was surely a part of him that would never forget how upset that first supermarket encounter made Jessie. But he didn’t want to focus on any of that right now. He had two other stops to make and then it was home for the good stuff. Tonight would be a magnificent night. Nothing and no one was going to stop it from being so.

***

The Temptations were playing on the oldies station in his kitchen as Sam added more garlic to the mashed potatoes on the stove. He’d boiled half the bag of potatoes, peeled them, and then mashed them. Jessie loved mashed potatoes and homemade were her favorite. He wanted this to be a special meal so he made Jessie’s favorite, Chicken Oscar. He seasoned the chicken breast fillets perfectly and put them in the oven. After they’d baked for an hour and twenty minutes, he added the lobster on top and lowered the oven temperature to warm.

The asparagus were boiling on the stove as well. A bottle of Moscato was chilling in the refrigerator. He would have to get in the shower soon. He’s worked from 10 to 4, ran his errands, and then jumped right into cooking. Sam wasn’t sure what he smelled like at the moment but he surely didn’t smell like a man ready to celebrate. When his cell phone buzzed on his hip, Sam put his whisk down to answer it.

“Hey baby doll.”

“Hey you.” Jessie replied. “Where are you?”

“I'm on our couch.” Sam said, cringing just a little when he lied. “What about you?”

“I'm heading out of the diner in a few minutes and then I have to go to see my parents.”

“Is everything OK?”

“Oh yeah, but I have to talk with my dad about some vendors. I just want to get it over with and off my mind. Are you cooking dinner?”

“Mmm hmm. It should probably be ready when you get here. You won't be with your parents too long?”

“I’d say a half hour or so. So I should be home before seven.” Jessie replied.

Sam looked at the clock on the microwave, it was 6:09. His shower would have to be quick but that was OK because the food was mostly done anyway.

“Well I’ll be here when you get here, baby. I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“Nope, I love you the mostest.” Sam said.

“Why are you so awesome?” Jessie asked.

“It’s really because of you…that’s a true story.”

“Well, I think we should count the ways tonight, Chief Kassmeyer.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. Drive safely, Jess, and I’ll see you in a little while.”

“See you soon.”

Sam hung up the phone. He turned off his potatoes and asparagus. With a fork, he speared a vegetable, blew on it, and ate it. It was perfect. He ate another and then went up the back stairs to take a quick shower before his wife got home.

***

Jessie could smell the flowers when she walked through the door. She loved that smell; it always reminded her of her husband. It wasn’t the third of the month or family night so the smell of flowers was a surprise. She hung her jacket on the hook in the closet and started walking toward the dining room. The lower part of the house wasn’t quite an open space though you could see straight back to the den.

It wasn’t until she was closer that she could see the dining room table. Sam, dressed in black slacks and a crisp white dress shirt, was lighting candles. It was perfectly set for a romantic dinner for two. Jessie was speechless. What was the occasion?

“Hi there.”

“Hey baby.” Sam turned to her and smiled. “Happy Anniversary.”

“Oh my God, what did you do?”

Jessie walked all the way into the dining room and kissed her husband hello. She felt so underdressed in her dark blue jeans and purple v-neck. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was sure she smiled like old diner food. She didn’t let Sam embrace her for just that reason. He was slightly disappointed but understood.

“You can go and hop in the shower; put on whatever makes you feel pretty. Dinner is warm in the oven and it'll wait for you. I’ll wait for you.”

“One day I'm not gonna be so speechless when you do wonderful things like this.” Jessie felt herself choking up but held it back. She still wasn’t quite sure how to handle the romantic bombshell that was Sam Kassmeyer.

“Oh no, no.” he kissed her once more. “You can stay speechless…I'm OK with that.”

“I bet. I’ll be back in just a little while.”

Jessie wore a smile on her face as she quickly went up the stairs. It only grew when she saw the dozen belladonna lilies on her side of the bed. It had been her wedding bouquet and so far, every third of the month since the day they were married, Sam presented her with a dozen. Today was no different, even if her husband was a day early. Today was actually the second, a rainy Friday night.

Weekends were usually full of work and activities for the couple. Jessie still couldn’t figure out how they even had time for themselves. She couldn’t think about it now either as she rushed to jump into the shower. A lovely meal and a lovely man were waiting for her. She didn’t want to keep them waiting too long.

000

“I want to propose a toast,” Sam held up his wineglass. “But first I need to take a breath and tell you how amazing you look tonight. You are the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“I doubt that.” Jessie smiled.

“I don’t. That dress is beautiful, Jessie.”

“Did you know I didn’t even want to buy it? I'm not one for dresses, as you know, but Desi saw it and said I had to. She insisted that the time to come where it would be perfect. As much as it pains me…she isn’t often wrong.”

Jessie wore a white dress covered in pink embroidered roses. It was more of a summer dress but that didn’t matter since they were inside. She hadn't been able to dry her hair completely after her shower so she wore it up. She’d cut one of her new lilies and accented her hair with it. Much to her chagrin, and her husband’s as well, The Gap discontinued Heaven.

Jessie was without a scent for months until a random trip to Bath and Body Works let her discover Japanese Cherry Blossom. She fell in love with it almost immediately. It was nothing like Heaven but it was very sexy. Sam loved it too. It wasn’t the crisp, clean scent he was used to. It was spicy, hot, and it made him feel that way as well.

“So I want to drink to many, many happy years with the most amazing, beautiful, strong, and fearless woman on the planet. May God continue to bless us with love, trust, and an unbreakable bond. I love you with all my heart and I will never, ever stop.”

“Amen and ditto.”

They clinked glasses and Jessie leaned across the table to kiss him. Sam caressed her face.

“I hope you're ready for something good, baby, because I made a great meal.”

“I'm ready.” Jessie smiled as she sipped her wine.

“I made your favorite.” Sam took the covers off the plates in front of them.

“Oh Sam, this looks delicious. I love Chicken Oscar.”

“I know. And I made homemade garlic cheddar mashed potatoes. Of course no Oscar meal is complete without fresh asparagus.”

“This is fantastic.”

“Happy anniversary, Jessie.” Sam grinned.

“I just have one question.” She said.

“What's that?”

“If you did all of this magic for six months, what can I expect for one year?”

“I guess you're just going to have to stick around and see, Mrs. Kassmeyer.”

***

_Knowin love the way that I do_  
I can say for certain that it’s true  
There's a chance for me and you  
I surely feel the time is near  
The picture in my mind is very clear  
I think love brought us here 

_I remember not too long ago_  
I was such a lonely person with a lonely heart  
And I was hoping there could one day be  
Be a chance for me  
To get the love that I've been missing  
Sometimes love takes a long time  
But wait for love and you're gonna get  
The chance to love, wait for love, wait for love  
Ooh my… 

Sam and Jessie stood in the middle of their bedroom floor swaying to Luther Vandross. Sam inhaled the scent of his wife as they danced. She smelled so good; she felt so good…it was a wonderful feeling. He was singing softly in her ear. Though he was nowhere close to the classic R & B master, the sentiment was the same. He’d been waiting his whole life for Jessie and now they were together.

Of course he didn’t even know he’d been waiting for her but as soon as he was aware, Sam made sure to make her his wife. There were some things stacked against them, not the least of which was his engagement to someone else. But Sam knew what he wanted. He almost waited too long but she was in his arms now. He’d won the game. Now he got to spend the rest of his life basking in the victory.

“Tell me what you're thinking.” Jessie said, looking at him.

“There are times when I wish I could sing like Luther.” He replied.

“Are you serious?” She giggled.

“Yes. I’d just love to be able to pull it out on special occasions and sing for you.”

“You have a nice voice, Sam.”

“Its kinda like Tom Petty swallowed a rock.”

“No, its not.” She laughed again. “It’s just fine. Anyway, there are so many other ways to please me.”

“I think I know a few.”

He kissed her, slowly, passionately, as they made their way to the bed. The night wasn’t quite over but there was no use spending all of it on their feet.

“I think we’re supposed to be counting the ways I love you more.” Sam whispered. His lips were still so close to hers.

“You’ve got that backwards, Chief Kassmeyer.”

“That’s OK, baby love, I like my way better.”

“You’ve already done so much tonight.” Jessie smiled as she toyed with the buttons of his dress shirt. “I think you should relax and let me take the wheel for a while.”

“Where are we going?” Sam asked, grinning.

“Maybe someplace we’ve never been before. You think you might want to try something new.”

“New new?”

“It’s not just my special day Sam, it’s yours too. And I'm gonna do whatever I can to make you a very, very satisfied man. Because when my man is satisfied, so am I.”

Jessie couldn’t even put into words how much Sam satisfied her. It was much more than sexually; it was in every sense of the word. She could tell him her thoughts, dreams, and passions. He made her smile, he made her laugh, and he always put her first.

Sometimes they finished each other’s sentences…Jessie really loved that. She loved him. She loved cuddling, talking, and thinking about their future. The whole world was open for them, even if they lived their life in a small town.

“I love you so much.” She said, unbuttoning his dress shirt. “I think when I'm done showing you just how much, you're gonna be a very happy man.”

“I assure you, I'm already a very happy man.”

He was indeed, but a little more happiness went a long way. With Jessie he was happier than he ever dreamed he could be. Marriage looked good on Sam Kassmeyer.

***

  



End file.
